Electric switch.



O. M. KNOBLOCK.

. ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION nun HA3. 6, 1907.

Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

0H0 044. i152 oJZoc/Z.

I o'r'rorr. xnontocx, or sou'rn BEND, INDIANA.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Specification or Letters Pat n Patented Not. in, limi Application tiled March 6, 1907. Serial No. 360,963.

To all whom it may come m:

' Be it known that I, OTTo a citizen of'the United States, residing at South Bend, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification. v

This invention relates to electric switches of the knife-blade type inwvhich the blade or blades are mounted on the insulating base or panel switch-board so as'to swing in a plane parallel with the face of the support or panel, as distinguished from switches in common use in: which the blade or blades are-inounted'to swing in a plane at right angles to the support or panel, so as to be objectionably in the way and subject to damage when they are held in open position and projecting outwardly from the panel.

The invention has-for one of its objects to improve the construction, operation and arrangement of'the arts of devices of this character so as to be comparatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and thorouihly reliable'and eflicient. in use.

further object of the invention is the rovision of a switch in which the contact locks are pinned to the insulating base or otherwise suitably secured theretoin such a' manner as to enable the blades to be actu'ated in a plane parallel to the base, the arrangement being such that switches of multiplef blade construction and of the double pole type are capable of being simply and inert-'- pensively manufactured. .With these objects in view, and others, as will appeara's the nature of the invention is better understood, the invention comprises 4O the variousnovel features and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and set forthwith particul in the claim appended hereto.

In the-accompanying drawing,-Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention shown arity as a double pole switch, and Fig. 2 is a view showing a portion of the double pole switch converted into a single blade switch. Referring to the drawing, 1 designates the supporting base of suitable insulating material on which are mounted, the contact blocks 15. These blocks are preferably of copper, may be molded or cast into the desired shape, or cut from bar stock of suitable size and dimensions, the bar being preferably grooved longitudinally so as to M. KNOBLOCK,

l forni in the cut-oil blocks slots for the knife or switch-blade 20. The slots extendlongithe blocks arc arra'ngedfiflwise on the top surface of the base,so that the slots will be parallel with the said surface.

Mounted upon the blocks 15- is a hard rubber or other suitable insulating mac terial, the same being held in place by screws base 1 in the same manner;

The double knifeblade 20 is pivoted at its inner end to the middle contact-blocks, said blocks being apertured for receiving the members of the blade are connected in any suitable manner, as b means ofthe cap 21 which forms a handtold, the blades where they are joined.v together to form the handle, being insulated in the usual manner.;

the lead wires of the circuit in which the held in place by bindin screws 8.

' The thickness of the lade members isapproximately equal to'thc width of the slots in, the contact blocks, so that the blade will fit snugly therein, and maintain a good electhis manner the blades of the switch swing on pivots disposed at right angles to the plane of the base; and While it is easy -;and

the objection of standing'outwardly from would be likely to be bent or otherwise damaged by objects c'omin in contact therewith, which is a common ault with switches in general use on'sw itch boards.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction will be readily apparent to those skilled in" the art to which this invention appertains. The switch is of simple, durable and substantial construction, and is' readily adapted for 17, passing therethrough and enga mg Hi' screw pivot, and the outer ends of the two trical connection. By arranging the parts in convenient to operate in this-way, it avoids tu dinally of the blocks forming lips 14, and

plate oi,

In the solid portion of each block is a passage 7 for the reception of the terminals of switch is connected, these terminalsbeing the base when in an open position, where it switch-board panels and other supporting bases.

It will be observed that this switch is convertible to a single switch by removing the upper set of contact blocks and their plate to which they are secured, and substituting a single bla'de as shown in Fig. 2; the separating of the two sets of contact. blocks with their bases being provided for by having their fastening means inde ndent of the fastening means of contact b oeks.

What is claimed is p A switch comprisingen insulatin base, an upper and lower set of contacti ing parallel to the'face of the base, a plurality of pivoted blades adapted to engage the contact blocks of both sets, and en intermeocks, each provided with a slot at one end extenddiate insuletin member for insulating om.

set from the ot er said intermediate member 3 and the lower set of contact blocks being se cured to the insulating base independentl; of each other, and the upper set of contact blocks being secured to t. e intermediate insulating means, whereby the up r set of 2.3

contact blocks with the interme iate insulating member, can be removed independ ently of the lower set of contact blocks.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of an 

